This weekend, two notorious clowns will compete at the box office as Terrifier 3 and Joker: Folie à Deux vie for the top spot in domestic ticket sales.
The sequel to Joker is expected to see a significant drop in ticket sales, with projections indicating a decline of 60% to 65% in its second weekend. This could result in earnings between $13 million and $15 million. However, some analysts believe the decline could be as severe as 70% to 75%, bringing its revenue down to $9 million to $11 million.
The film opened last weekend with a disappointing $37.6 million, largely due to poor reviews and negative word-of-mouth.
In contrast, Terrifier 3 is projected to debut strongly, aiming for $10 million to $13 million from 2,514 theaters. This would mark a significant start for the low-budget slasher film, which has built a loyal following.
Another contender for the top spot is The Wild Robot, an animated family film from Universal and DreamWorks Animation. It is expected to earn $12 million to $13 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to approximately $65.4 million and its global total to around $102 million.
The first Terrifier film was relatively unknown, opening with just $123,957 and finishing with a worldwide total of $419,000 in 2016.
However, its sequel, Terrifier 2, became a surprise hit in 2022, launching with $805,000 and ultimately grossing $10 million domestically and $15.7 million globally. The third installment continues the story of Art the Clown as he terrorizes a small town during Christmas. It has received surprisingly positive reviews for a slasher film, holding an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
For Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel has experienced a shocking decline compared to its predecessor, which grossed over $1 billion. The original Joker had an opening weekend of $96.2 million against a budget of about $60 million. In contrast, the follow-up’s budget is around $200 million, requiring it to earn at least $450 million to break even.
In addition to these films, several new releases are entering theaters this weekend. Sony’s Saturday Night, which explores the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live, is projected to earn between $3.5 million and $5 million from 2,300 theaters. The film has grossed only $629,000 after two weekends in limited release.
Piece by Piece, a documentary about Pharrell Williams told through Lego animation, is expected to earn between $5 million and $7 million from 1,851 locations. Directed by Morgan Neville, this film has a budget of $16 million.
Finally, The Apprentice, featuring Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump, is anticipated to open with earnings between $1 million and $3 million from 1,740 theaters. The film follows Trump’s rise in business and his relationship with lawyer Roy Cohn. Trump has criticized the film and threatened legal action against it.
As the box office landscape shifts this weekend, all eyes will be on how these films perform amidst changing audience preferences and competition.
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